


The Slytherin Stalker

by Ashii Black (ashiiblack)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Anal Sex, M/M, Minor Violence, Mystery, Rimming, Serial Killers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-13
Updated: 2013-02-13
Packaged: 2017-11-29 03:13:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 17,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/682071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ashiiblack/pseuds/Ashii%20Black
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When a serial killer is found to be targeting Slytherins, Harry is assigned to protect Draco Malfoy. While Malfoy may not make it easy for him, neither do Harry's feelings for Draco.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Slytherin Stalker

**Author's Note:**

  * For [incandescent (lmeden)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lmeden/gifts).



**The Slytherin Stalker**

~~ 

"You will _never_ guess who I am stuck babysitting for this job."

"Who?"

"Malfoy."

Hermione covered her hand with her mouth. Ron spat out his peppermint ice cream all over Harry's face. "Sorry, mate."

Harry winced and performed a quick cleaning charm. "S'alright. Believe me, that was my reaction to this whole thing."

"What complete imbecile would put you two together?" Hermione asked with the newly regained skill of speech.

"Who do you think? Druthers, of course."

Marcus Druthers was the new Head Auror. Harry was unable to find a better word – Druthers was a complete arsehole. He despised Harry and refused to give him any cases other than the occasional domestic disturbance. Instead, Harry was made into the paperboy. He filled out the other Aurors' paperwork for them.

Finally, after the Slytherin Stalker case had been given a number one priority, Harry begged Druthers to let him help on the case. He had known two of the victims and was eager to try to solve the first serial killer case the department had had in nearly twenty years.

The Slytherin Stalker first struck nearly a year earlier. A man by the name of Ethan Hawes was found strangled by a rope, which had been painted green. The end of the rope had a Transfigured snake head on it.

Ethan was a recent addition to the Wizengamot. Aurors were immediately sent to the homes of other Wizengamot members for protection. When everyone was safe and accounted for, the Aurors launched an investigation.

Several months into this case, another victim was found. Logan DiPietro was killed the same way: strangled with a green rope, a miniature snake head on the end.

What baffled Aurors most was that Logan was unemployed. Before that, he cleaned up after weddings. He and Ethan's ages were wide apart and they didn't share any mutual friends.

By the third victim, Aurors discovered the pattern. Ethan, Logan, and now Marcus Flint were all alumni of the Slytherin House. They initially believed that the killer was a Slytherin and the green rope was their modus operandi. That theory was flipped on its back when Flint was found. It was clear that the killer was after male Slytherins.

While the team of Aurors were working on their theory, the Stalker killed again. They killed a Healer named Vincent Emerson. This death sent the media into a frenzy. Sure, a judge had been killed, along with some others, but a _Healer_? Four deaths had occurred and the Aurors were no closer to solving the murder than they were when they found the first body.

Accusations flew. The _Prophet_ wrote nasty articles, calling Druthers "incompetent" and "lazy." They ridiculed the Auror team -- for surely -- they had not been trained well enough for this. One article even accused it of being an inside job, which was why nothing was getting done.

Druthers responded to the accusations by sending Aurors and other members of the MLE to keep an eye on high profile Slytherins. Some declined the offer, but others, being the Slytherins they were, agreed to have a bodyguard.

Harry, who had been stuck doing paperwork over a rabid crup, was finally given a task: act as bodyguard to Draco Malfoy.

"Why does Druthers hate me so much?" Harry moaned.

"Isn't _he_ a Slytherin?" Ron asked. "I could have sworn I read something about it."

Harry rolled his eyes. "That's just the _Prophet_ pulling shit out of thin air. Druthers was sent to some school in China."

"Oh."

Hermione took a bite of her chocolate cherry ice cream. "Maybe you can see this as an opportunity to finally make amends with Malfoy."

"Amends?" Harry raised an eyebrow at her. "I believe I've tried that several times, and I get the same response of, 'I don't need your pity,' or more recently, 'Bugger off, Potter; I'm trying to get laid here."

Ron narrowed his eyes in confusion. "When did you see him that time?"

"At Leather's. It's been a few years. I just tried to say hello to him. Since then, I have no desire to talk to him. He's just as big a prat as he was in school."

Somehow, Harry always knew he was gay, even if he refused to admit it to himself. Dating Cho and Ginny were just copouts. Hell, he still had to will his erection away when he thought of Cedric Diggory taking a bath.

A year after the war, Harry silently came out. He refused to do any interviews, and instead, spent a lot of time at Leathers, the local gay club. It was rare that he actually took someone home, but he greatly enjoyed dancing.

He refused to admit it to anyone else, but part of why he went to Leathers was to watch Malfoy dance. Why Merlin blessed the gay community with an attractive bloke like Malfoy he had no idea. Nearly every time he went to Leathers, Harry would end up wanking off to the image of Malfoy grinding in his tight denims as he ran his fingers through his hair.

This was the ultimate reason he was less-than-thrilled at the prospect of spending every waking minute with Malfoy. When the bloke opened his mouth, it was quite easy to keep away. However, once the snarky comments ceased, all Harry could picture was the Malfoy he knew at Leathers.

"Unfortunately for you, mate, you're stuck with him all day and all night until the Stalker is caught."

"Everyone enjoying their ice cream?"

"Iyana, your ice cream is the best," Ron moaned. Hermione elbowed him in the side and he averted his eyes away from the chest of the very attractive Ukranian woman standing in front of them.

As she walked away, Hermione glanced around at all of the Aurors eating in the shop. "You know, police officers in the Muggle world are well-known for eating donuts. Aurors are notorious for ice cream."

Ron crinkled his nose. "I don't know what a donut is, nor do I want to. It sounds _disgusting_."

"You'd eat it."

As they continued with their bickering, Harry glanced out the window, a bitter look on his face. He was excited that he was actually able to help out with the case, but it was in an unfortunate manner. He wasn't solving anything, and to make matters worse, it was with Malfoy. He would make his life a living hell.

The worst part was that he didn't even know how long this would take. It could be weeks or even months before he was reassigned to another task. Months of staying with Malfoy could lead to early retirement.

Either way, he was not looking forward to tomorrow.

**

Harry took in a deep breath and knocked twice on the door in front of him. It was tall and painted a glossy black, with a silver handle and knocker.

The townhouse was enormous. Harry knew that Malfoy moved out of his mansion and instead, chose a rather posh side of London to live on.

Much of Malfoy's life remained a mystery to Harry, but he did know that he, Zabini, and Parkinson opened an estate agency that catered to wealthy wizards and Muggles alike. Apparently, if it was a lot of money, they would take any currency. He knew that their business venture was extremely successful. They sold houses around the world. It was easy for them to travel, so they were among the top vacation home agents around.

The door finally opened. "You is Mister Potter!" the house-elf squeaked. "Come in, come in. Willy is getting Master Malfoy now!"

Harry stepped in and looked around. He admired the blue marble floors in the entrance to the home, which lead to an enormous sitting room. There was a huge oriental rug underneath brilliant modern furniture. He wasn't sure what he had expected - it _was_ Malfoy after all - but he was impressed.

"Potter."

Harry's head snapped up at the cold voice from across the room. There stood Draco Malfoy, age twenty six, as pristinely polished as ever. He wore fitted black trousers and a lavender button-up shirtsleeves with a black vest on top of it. His shirtsleeves were rolled up to his elbows, exposing his pale skin. He did not wear wizarding robes, but he didn't need to. Even from this distance, Harry could feel magic radiating off of him. The years certainly had treated him well.

Malfoy had the audacity to smirk at Harry before striding forward. "I see you've met Willy."

Harry suppressed a laugh. What a rather phallic name for a house-elf. "I have."

Draco sat down on the black Knole sofa and crossed his legs. "My understanding is that you are to cater to my every need, as it is dangerous to be out by myself."

So that was why he accepted the offer from Druthers. Most of the Slytherins declined, saying it was a sign of weakness. Harry sighed. "I am to make sure that you are safe."

"I requested that you be my bodyguard. After all, the vanquisher of the Dark Lord should be able to protect me, should the Slytherin Stalker decide to take me out. Plus, to watch the great Harry Potter follow _my_ orders should be a wonderful experience."

Harry pursed his lips. He didn't want to have a row five minutes into their first meeting. But if Malfoy was planning on making his life a living hell, he needed to speak up. "I would be happy to accompany you wherever you go. I don't think you've lost your ability to move."

"Yes, Potter, but we don't know how the Slytherin Stalker is capturing all of us. Wouldn't it be best if you did all of the talking and taking care of everything? That way, we are eliminating ANY potential threat."

Harry clenched his fist. So Malfoy still knew how to get under his skin. "I will do what is required of me."

"Protect and serve, right? Well, since you are in charge of me, you will protect _and_ serve as I see fit. Otherwise, my good friend Druthers will hear a _dreadful_ report on you."

Harry's jaw dropped. "You wouldn't."

"I know Druthers quite well," Malfoy continued. "We are supposed to update him on how we are doing and if we feel that our assigned bodyguard is really doing their job. I could easily tell him that you are refusing to be helpful."

"I could tell him you are being difficult."

"Who would he rather believe?" Malfoy shot back. "I know how much he hates you. He'd do _anything_ to get you fired."

Harry sighed. Malfoy had him there and they both knew it.

"If you're done trying to argue with me, I want a soda."

"Have Willy do it."

"Willy always gets the wrong soda. When he does that, he needs to punish himself. I know how much you hate that."

"Fine. What kind of soda would you like?"

"Cream soda."

"Where can I find it?"

Malfoy picked up a thick book off the coffee table and started to read. "I don't actually have any cream soda, so you will have to go out and buy some."

Harry stamped his foot. "For Merlin's sake, Malfoy, you'll have to come with me anyways!"

Malfoy seemed to think about this for several seconds. Then he nodded. "Fine. Let's go. We also need to make a stop at my office. Blaise and Pansy need to see me."

**

As they walked through the aisles at Fortnam & Mason, Harry couldn't help but watch Malfoy curiously. He drank Muggle soda? Who would have thought?

"I didn't expect for you to be interested in Muggle food."

Malfoy scoffed. "Why, because I'm from a family of Death Eaters?" His voice was harsh and cold.

Harry shrugged, trying to hide his embarrassment. "I suppose so."

They walked into the soda aisle in silence. Malfoy's face lit up when they reached the glass bottles of cola. He reached forward and picked up a pack of cream soda. Then, he turned to Harry. His face was calculating, as though he was trying hard to come up with the right words to say.

"I'm only going to say this once, Potter. Just because my family believed in a madman does not mean I ever did. I'll be the first to admit that I was a parrot in school. I acted how I thought my parents wanted me to be, even though I didn't always agree with them. I don't always understand Muggles, but I don't hate them. In fact, some of the things they have done without magic is quite genius. Will I ever be soft fools for them like the Weasleys? Never. However, I will indulge myself with a cream soda every now and then." He straightened up and his regular Malfoy features were restored. "Now then, let's see about you paying for my cream soda."

Harry was quiet after Malfoy spoke, through the line and through the walk outside to a discreet alleyway. He was quickly realizing that he was wrong; Malfoy was nothing like the complete brat he was in school. Sure, he was still arrogant, and sure, he was still a right bastard, but in a better way. Even more so, Harry realized that he liked it.

"Okay Malfoy, where to next?"

Malfoy was back to his normal self. "Well, I've got some paperwork to finish at the office. I will finish that and visit with Blaise and Pansy for a bit. Then, you can analyze the safety features of my townhome. I figure while I have an Auror at my place, I might as well put him to good use."

Harry held out his arm. Malfoy begrudgingly took it. It had been awkward enough on the way to the grocery store. After Malfoy sharing so much with him, it seemed even _more_ intimate. "Why do we have to use Side-Along Apparation? Why can't we just do it separately and meet at the same place instead?" Malfoy whined.

"It seems a bit silly to do that, doesn't it?" Harry asked, an eyebrow raised. "Are you afraid of getting my Gryffindor cooties all over you?"

Malfoy snorted. "Don't be an idiot. I just don't want to touch _you_."

Harry found himself more hurt than he probably should have felt. It _was_ Malfoy, after all. He closed his eyes and turned on the spot.

They reappeared just outside of a door to a red brick building, labelled Zabini Malfoy Zabini. Harry took in a deep breath and stepped inside, holding the door behind him for Malfoy to enter.

The office was decorated in a similar fashion to Malfoy's townhome. Harry admired the crisp, black-and-white entrance hall, along with the elegant mirror to his right. It made sense for an enormous mirror to be at the establishment Malfoy, Zabini, and Parkinson worked.

"Potter!" Zabini called. "Come in!"

Harry tentatively stepped forward. Blaise Zabini clapped his hand on Harry's shoulders and dragged him across the office. "It's been a while!"

He looked at Zabini, then back at Malfoy. His eyes narrowed in confusion. Why was Zabini being so nice? "Yes, it has."

"Where is Pansy?" Malfoy asked, taking a seat at his desk.

Blaise chuckled. "We have some intern Auror who is watching both of us. Pansy is taking him shopping."

"You mean Pansy is using him as a way to transport her purchases around town?"

"Of course."

Harry bit his lip. It was incredibly frustrating to watch Malfoy, Zabini, and Parkison behave like this. All of these Auror resources could be used to help find the Slytherin Stalker! Instead of protecting these potential victims, they were just another pawn in a random Syltherin's game.

Blaise clapped his hands together. "So, Potter, how have you been? I see the years have treated you rather kindly, despite how ill-fitting that Auror robe is on you."

"I've been assigned to watch Malfoy and prevent him from doing anything that might lead him to his untimely death," Harry replied with a scowl.

Blaise seemed unfazed by the rather rude comment and continued on. "The fact that you've been trusted to take care of Draco here is quite monumental. In fact, it would be _wonderful_ if you could help me out."

Harry opened his mouth to give a furious reply, but Malfoy interrupted him first.

"Potter, what he means is that there is a lot of filing to do and his Auror is assisting Pansy. Would you be a doll and do some of that work for him?" He pulled out one of the cream sodas and popped it open. He took a swig and grinned. "Of course, if you'd rather I let Druthers know that you aren't taking care of other Slytherins, you could storm off in a rage like you used to."

"One of these days, I'll get sick of your threats and I won't do it," Harry mumbled and grabbed the stack of folders off Blaise's desk.

"Why yes, I suppose you will." The grin stayed on Malfoy's face. Harry felt himself turning red in both fury, and, to his surprise, arousal.

As Harry began sorting the folders, he listened in on Malfoy and Zabini's conversation. They were discussing new clients and several business goals.

"Did I hear right that Pansy took on a Weasley as a client?" Harry heard Malfoy ask.

"Yeah. Charlie Weasley has a load of money to spend on a new place. Losing his hand in that dragon attack was the best thing to happen to him. Single, good-looking, a sob story to tell the witches. Now, he'll have a perfect flat to take them home to."

"Blokes," Harry murmured to himself as he organized a folder for Jenner, Natalie. "Just like us."

Harry was so busy in his thoughts that he didn't even notice Pansy sneak up on him. "Potter!" she whispered in his ear.

Harry jumped several feet in the air and gasped. "Parkinson."

She was somehow able to laugh and roll her eyes at the same time. "Please. It's Pansy Zabini now." She held out her left hand to showcase her enormous diamond ring.

"Right. Zabini."

"You know Pete, yes?" She motioned to the skinny lad standing in the doorway, completely covered in pink bags filled with Pansy's freshly tendered items.

Harry was familiar with Pete Brinkhardt. He was relatively new to the Auror Department and was extremely shy. Rarely, did Harry ever see Pete interact with anyone. He was still in training and had shadowed Druthers for a short time before the Slytherin Stalker case started. Since then, he was assigned to getting ice cream and pumpkin juice for the other Aurors.

Harry nodded to Pete. He seemed perfectly content with helping carry Pansy's packages.

"Hello, Auror Potter. Would you mind helping me with some of these?"

Malfoy stood. "You are not to use _my_ Auror without permission."

"Malfoy, Pete is about to topple over from all of those bags," Harry started but Malfoy snapped his fingers.

"Auror Potter, don't you dare."

Harry rolled his eyes and pulled some of the parcels off Pete. Malfoy pouted for a brief moment. Pete gave Harry a grateful look and then stood in the doorway, looking rather official.

"What are you doing?" Harry asked.

"I'm the bodyguard to two of the most high profile real estate agents in the world. I need to keep them safe," Pete whispered.

"Bollocks," Harry moaned. He was stuck with a total swot for an Auror. First Druthers and now Pete? Why were his colleagues such dolts?

"If it makes you feel any better, Potter, I planned on paying a visit to Iyana's. I know how much you Aurors enjoy your ice cream."

Harry did his best to mask his surprise and turned around. "Cream soda _and_ ice cream? Wow, Malfoy, if you keep eating like this, you'll lose your figure in no time."

Pansy and Zabini burst into laughter. Malfoy glowered at Harry. "For your information, Potter, I won't be eating for the next two days to counterbalance these meals."

Harry rolled his eyes and stood. "Shall we?"

Pansy tugged on her dark curls and looked at Malfoy hopefully. "I could go for some ice cream."

Malfoy shrugged. "Sure. Pete can finish Potter's filing and Blaise can man the phones for a bit."

Blaise nodded. "Pans, remember you have that meeting at four."

Pansy waved her hand in dismissal. "Of course, of course. You know I'll be back before then."

That was how Harry ended up walking side-by-side with Pansy Parki – no – _Zabini_ and Draco Malfoy down Diagon Alley. How times had _clearly_ changed.

**

"Do tell, Potter. What does the Auror Department know that they aren't telling the public?" Pansy asked as she licked her chocolate cone.

"I can't tell you, Parki-"

"For Merlin's sake, call me Pansy," she interrupted with a scowl. "Maybe you can at least remember my first name."

"Okay, Pansy. Just because we're spending time together doesn't mean you are privy to all of my secret Auror intel."

"Right, because you don't have any. Druthers doesn't tell you bollocks, does he?" Malfoy asked. He spooned some of his mint chocolate chip ice cream into his mouth and looked at Harry expectantly.

"No, it doesn't mean that," Harry said, his face gaining a slight red tinge. "We can't share everything we know with private citizens and that includes you two."

"You probably share everything with those Weasleys," Pansy said in a challenging tone.

"Did someone say my name?" Harry heard a voice behind him say. He turned around.

There stood Charlie Weasley, a large smile on his face. Even though he lost his arm, Charlie was every gay man's dream catch. He still worked with dragons, which continued to keep him in shape, and his tanned skin added to that. Charlie kept his hair shaggy, which Harry found quite adorable.

For the past year, Harry and Charlie had been flirting. It was always in secret and away from any other Weasley, as they didn't want anyone interfering. Charlie was one of the blokes Harry had taken home after a visit to Leathers. While they hadn't made love since then, Charlie seemed determined to do it again.

Harry was most definitely interested in Charlie – who wouldn't be? However, he wasn't sure if his relationship with the Weasleys could withstand another Potter/Weasley breakup. Bill and George refused to speak to Harry for a month after he and Ginny's breakup and Molly did nothing but speak about how much she wished they would get back together and have beautiful children.

It wasn't just that. Charlie was great, but Harry was more interested in someone who would challenge him. Charlie was too sweet to be husband material for Harry. Perhaps it was more that Charlie was too perfect for him.

However, he didn't mind the perks of having a fit bloke flirting with him incessantly.

"I never thought I'd see the day when a Potter sat down for ice cream with two Slytherins," Charlie commented as he slid into the booth next to Harry. He touched his hand to Harry's shoulder. "How is the babysitting going?"

Pansy interrupted before Harry had a chance to speak. "It's going marvelous. He did some filing for Blaise and carried Draco's groceries for him."

Charlie nudged Harry. "Don't tell me they're giving you a rough time."

Harry shrugged. "Why are you so friendly with them?"

Charlie laughed. "I'm buying my flat from them. They're not _that_ bad."

"We can hear you, you know," Draco commented and lapped at his ice cream.

"I was hoping I'd find you here, Harry. I wanted to see if you wanted to go to the Pygmy Puff show with me in a few week's time."

Draco waved his hand in front of Charlie's face. "Auror Potter is on the job."

"Why don't you lot come along with us?" Charlie suggested. "The Slytherin Stalker isn't going to kill you at the concert."

"How do you know that?" Iyana asked as she walked by.

"The Slytherin Stalker doesn't like public places," Harry responded.

Iyana shrugged. "Harry, you should be more careful."

"He's killing _Slytherins_ , Iyana," Charlie answered. "It's that group you need to worry about."

"And that's why we have Potter," Malfoy replied. "He will protect us from the little bastard."

Harry sighed. It felt like he was hanging out with Malfoy and not protecting him from a serial killer. To top it off, adding Charlie to the mix was far beyond anything he could comprehend at the moment.

"Iyana, I have a question for you."

Iyana crossed her serving tray across her chest and looked at Harry expectantly. "Anything to help!"

"Several victims were found with ashes from a Donskoy Tabak cigarette. It's Russian. Do you know where we could find a place that sold that brand of cigarette?"

Iyana paused and glanced upward, lost in thought. Then, she looked back at Harry. "You could probably find them at any smoke shop in Muggle London. They aren't exactly rare."

"Well, thanks for the help."

"Anytime," Iyana responded and walked away.

He turned to Charlie. "How about I let you know later? Malfoy and I should get back so I can update his wards."

Charlie gave Harry a kiss on the cheek and stood up. "I hope to see you all at the show!"

As he left Iyana's, Pansy whooped. "Potter and Charlie Weasley? Merlin, Potter, you can't seem to stay away from those Weasleys. Did you bugger Ronald as well?"

As Malfoy and Pansy laughed hysterically, Harry rose and looked expectantly at Malfoy. "We should head back."

Malfoy nodded with a straight face. "After a fit bloke like that giving you a kiss, you probably need to wank."

Pansy and Malfoy dissolved into giggles again.

Harry sighed. He hoped the rest of the Aurors would catch the Slytherin Stalker soon. This was more than he could take.

**

Two weeks passed and nothing new had turned up on the Slytherin Stalker. Harry was stuck preparing meals for Malfoy and cleaning his flat. Willy was having fits in his living quarters. With nothing to do, he had taken to collecting balls of lint.

Malfoy was infuriating. For the most part, he was the same little prat Harry knew in school, but sometimes, he would let his walls fall down and he would ask questions like, "Why did you save me that night?"

When the question was brought up, Harry wasn't sure how to answer. He _did_ hate Malfoy, especially at that point in time, but he would never let someone die. Hell, he hadn't actually killed Voldemort himself. He just held the wand responsible for the deed.

"I knew you were better than that," Harry finally responded. "You were more than a Death Eater and I knew you would amount to more than just a killer who blindly followed a maniac."

Malfoy had sat there in silence for a while. "I thought maybe you wanted to be my mate."

"That ship sailed long ago, didn't it?"

"Ship?"

"It's a Muggle expression. It means that that opportunity is no longer possible, even though it once was."

"It was, wasn't it?" Malfoy had asked.

Shortly after, Malfoy had made him degnome his garden, and any positive thought about a redeemed Malfoy had gone away.

Harry had his own room in Malfoy's flat. It appeared to be a room used for storage, but he had his own bed and dresser and really, that was all he needed to be comfortable. Malfoy had an enormous bedroom with a tub in the room.

That night, he was just falling asleep when Malfoy tore into Harry's room and shook him. "Potter!" he hissed. "There's someone in the house!"

Harry shot up out of bed and quickly put his glasses on. Grabbing his wand, he turned to Malfoy and whispered, "Where are they? Did you see them?"

Malfoy gulped. "No, but I heard something at the window. They were clearly trying to get in. Potter, it's the Slytherin Stalker and he's come to kill me!"

Harry held his arm out. "Follow me and make sure to stay behind me."

Malfoy followed Harry's orders well as they walked down the hallway to the said noise. "Which window?" he asked.

Malfoy pointed. "That one."

It was rather difficult to see in the dark, but he could clearly hear a scratching sound at the window. He froze. Now was the time to prove himself as an Auror. Slytherin Stalker or not, there was someone outside.

He kept his wand pointed at the window and flung open the curtains. Upon seeing the sight in front of him, he burst into laughter.

There was a kitten standing in the windowsill. It had somehow managed to make it two stories up before getting frightened.

Harry opened the window and brought the kitten inside. It was quite adorable; it had black fur and large blue eyes that stared up at him.

Malfoy turned several shades of red and hung his head. "Well, I guess we solved that mystery."

Harry reached out and touched Malfoy's shoulder. "Malfoy, you should be grateful that it was just a cat. I know I am."

Malfoy lifted his head and smiled at Harry. "I suppose so. Thanks Potter. I know I treat you like you're some kind of slave, but you actually know what you're doing and since Willy is about ready to commit suicide, I can lay off."

They both realized that they were smiling at each other stupidly at exactly the same time. Harry removed his hand and held out the kitten. "Can we keep him?"

Malfoy narrowed his eyes. "If the kitten pisses on my rug, I will turn it into a wall decoration."

**

Two days after that, Harry and Malfoy were eating breakfast when the Floo sprang to life. They heard Druthers' voice calling Harry. He rushed to the Floo.

"The Slytherin Stalker struck again. Paris Haverford was discovered in a dumpster early that morning with the same symbol carved into the side of his neck. Get over there. I'll send you the coordinates on your machine."

"Druthers – can Malfoy come with me? I don't think he should be alone."

Druthers sighed. "Don't let him see the body."

Malfoy tapped Harry on the shoulder. "Can I see it?"

Harry smacked Malfoy's hand. "No."

"Okay, fine. But remember, we need to be done with this by tonight. Remember, we have that show."

Harry raised an eyebrow at Malfoy. Malfoy feigned an innocent look. " _We_? I have a date tonight and you and your esteemed colleagues invited yourselves along."

Malfoy shrugged. "At least we know it's safe since the SS struck again."

Harry stood up and dusted off his robes. "We should probably head over to the crime scene. Remember: don't touch anything and don't talk to anyone. They are trying to do their jobs."

"Okay, fine. I'll be good."

Harry Apparated Malfoy to the coordinates Druthers sent him on his pager.

Both of them glanced around. They were in downtown London, in an alley off the road. Harry sighed. The Obliviating Task Force were going to be bogged down for the whole day trying to track down all of the Muggles who must have seen this.

"Potter!" called an Auror.

Harry turned to the voice. "Morning, Davis. I certainly didn't expect to get called in on this case."

Davis nodded. "With everyone else watching their Slytherins, we're a bit short-staffed."

Harry motioned to Malfoy. "I have a Slytherin too. Not that I'm complaining; I've been going out of my wits trying to keep myself entertained."

Malfoy pulled a face at Harry and walked over to the dead body, which was lying next to the dumpster. "Potter, I saw the dead body. You didn't follow directions."

Harry groaned. "Malfoy, just keep against that wall and stop talking. I'll take you out to Iyana's if you shut your mouth just this once."

Malfoy shrugged. "Fine. I need to check my messages anyways." He pulled out his wand and started fiddling with it.

Davis raised an eyebrow at Harry. "Rough few weeks?"

"You don't even know," Harry responded. "So, what is it that Druthers wants me to do?"

"Analyze the body," he replied. "We need to make sure this was really the Slytherin Stalker and not just some copycat. Did you hear about that last week?"

Harry nodded. "We need to catch this bastard soon."

Davis grimaced. "Too true."

Harry analyzed the dead body of Paris Haverford. Harry knew he was six or seven years older than he was and worked in the Department of Magical Games and Sports. He was working on the latest Quidditch World Cup, which was to be happening in Athens this year.

"Do we have a list of Haverford's friends we can contact? We need to know where he was seen last."

Davis shook his head. "We haven't gotten that far yet."

"The killer always kills in London, it seems. Even Flint, who didn't live in London, was killed in this area."

"Do you think there's a pattern to it?" Davis asked.

Harry shrugged. "Maybe. We haven't looked at that before."

He looked at Haverford's body again. Strangled with a green rope with a serpent head on top of it. It looked legitimate.

Malfoy had stopped playing with his wand and was staring at Haverford. Harry was amused by the expression on Malfoy's face. There was definitely surprise and horror, as well as curiosity. Malfoy wrapped his scarf a little tighter around his neck and shuddered. He seemed to notice that Harry was watching him and he snapped his head in the other direction, his ears turning red.

"Staring is rude, Potter."

"I could say the same of you, Malfoy," Harry retorted.

"What else do you have to do?" Malfoy asked petulantly. "I'm cold. And I have work too, you know."

Harry sighed. "Not much more. There really isn't all that much we can do here. Haverford is dead and it is decidedly the Slytherin Stalker."

"Good," Malfoy responded. "That means we don't have to worry about him attacking us at the show tonight."

"I suppose that is true," Harry answered and kneeled down.

"We saw Paris at Iyana's yesterday, didn't we?" Malfoy asked.

Harry frowned. "That would mean he was in Diagon Alley yesterday. We would have a load of witnesses who could tell us when they last saw him! Davis, get someone over to Diagon Alley to do some interviews of the local business owners!"

Davis nodded. "I'll Floo Druthers when you two leave. Speaking of which, after you fill out this report, you can go."

Harry pulled out his quill and stared down at the paperwork. "Of course."

**

Eight hours, ice cream, a shower, and a quick wank later, Harry was standing outside the Charms Room, a local night club with Charlie, Malfoy, Blaise, Pansy, and Pete. The bouncer quickly let them in and Harry smiled in relief. Even though he was famous, he was always nervous that he wouldn't get into a night club because he had no fashion sense.

Charlie slipped his hand through Harry's, causing him to jump. "Are you excited?"

Harry nodded. "I don't really know much about the Pygmy Puffs."

Charlie laughed. "They are the next big thing, I swear. Everyone in America is listening to them right now."

"And that makes them good?" Malfoy interjected snootily.

"Well, it means a lot of people like them," Charlie answered evenly. "Harry, would you like a drink?"

Harry nodded. "You know what I like."

Blaise and Pansy were already off snogging in the corner. Pete was looking extremely uncomfortable, but stood close to his clients and glared at anyone who stared for too long.

Malfoy turned to Harry. "I was just taking the piss. The Pygmy Puffs put on a great performance."

"Yeah?" Harry asked. "To be honest, I don't even know what kind of music they play."

"They use a Muggle synthesizer and use magic to play it. It makes for really interesting music. The music is slow, but the lead singer sort of howls quickly into the voice projector. And there is always a foam show as well."

"A foam show?"

"They put large amounts of soap suds into the audience. We get to party in foam. People can get naked if they want, and no one would know any better."

Harry could feel himself blushing. The thought of Malfoy naked was too much for him to handle at this point. Plus, the thought of Charlie naked...well, that was an image he could get used to.

"Have they done foam parties at Leathers?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, but they've been lame. This should be fun."

"I've never heard you this excited about anything," Harry commented.

Malfoy combed his hair back with his fingers. "Potter, I get plenty excited. Just because you're not privy to seeing it doesn't mean it doesn't happen."

"Will you stop snapping at me, Malfoy?" Harry said angrily. "I'm just trying to make small talk and all you do is argue with me."

Malfoy threw his head back and gave a great fake laugh. "Oh that's great. Harry bloody Potter telling _me_ that I argue with _him_. If I had a Knut for every time you've argued with me these past two weeks, I'd have more money than I make in a year at my job right now."

Harry glowered at Malfoy.

"That's a lot of money," Malfoy continued.

"I got it, Malfoy," Harry answered and stepped closer to him. "You've been trying to get my goad since I started. You requested me to give me a hard time, didn't you?"

Malfoy opened his mouth furiously but Harry continued. "Instead of playing the victim, just admit that you're still the same conceited prick you've always been with a better haircut."

Sparks flew in Malfoy's eyes, but before he was able to retort, Charlie tapped Harry on the shoulder. "Your firewhiskey."

Harry took it from Charlie's hands without breaking eye contact with Malfoy. "Thanks."

Harry and Malfoy continued their glaring until Charlie finally pushed both of them. "Come on guys. We're at a show. Can you get along for just tonight so we can have a good time?"

"I will once Potter stops accusing me of being a funsucker."

Charlie clapped Malfoy on the shoulder. "Draco, I've seen you suck an enormous amount of 'fun' in the back room at Leathers. Let's just listen to the Pygmy Puffs and enjoy ourselves."

A smile cracked through both Harry and Malfoy's faces.

"And where in the bleeding hell did Pansy and Blaise go?" Charlie asked. Draco pointed in the corner. "Oh for Merlin's sake. The good music hasn't even started yet."

**

Harry had to give Malfoy one thing – foam parties were fun. He was up to his chest in soap suds wearing just his pants. He slid easily up and down Charlie's body as they danced to the rather interesting and unique beats of Pygmy Puff.

Charlie spun him around, still holding onto Harry's waist. "Hi," Harry said, surprised.

They continued dancing. Then, Harry caught a glimpse of Malfoy. He too had stripped down to a pair of tight white pants and had drawn a crowd of three other wizards grinding against him. He was grinning at the tallest one. Harry crinkled his nose.

"Kiss me," Charlie said, moving in closer.

"Now?" Harry yelled.

He pulled away from Charlie. "I need to use the loo. I'll be back."

Before Charlie could follow him, he made his way through the crowd. He managed to make it to the lavatory safely. He scrubbed his face with water and stared into the mirror.

Charlie was wonderful. He was a bloody fantastic catch. Why couldn't he just be with him and be done with it?

It must have been Malfoy that distracted him. Who wouldn't be distracted by such a fit bloke? He was walking sex and they had spent every waking moment together for the past three weeks. Even though he had wanked daily since starting his babysitting job, there was something to be said for being with someone.

Charlie was great; really, he was. Just not for Harry. He didn't have those types of feelings for Charlie, despite what he hoped for.

"You ran from Weasley pretty quickly. What did he do, ask you to fix your dumb glasses?" he heard Malfoy's voice ask from the doorway.

Harry turned around. "Don't you have a gaggle of fanboys to entertain?"

Malfoy shrugged. "They aren't in charge of protecting me from a serial killer."

"Oh."

They were silent for a bit longer and listened to another wizard vomiting into the toilet.

"Anyways," Malfoy said after another uncomfortable silence, "how about I dance with you for a little bit? There are too many people in here and I started thinking – well, I started thinking about how easy it would be to take me away and strangle me to death."

"You want to be seen dancing with me?" Harry asked incredulously.

Malfoy turned red. "If you don't want to do your job, fine."

"Malfoy – wait. I'll do it. Hell, it's probably for the best anyways."

Harry glanced up and down at Malfoy and refrained from licking his lips. He had such a small, lithe form, but had muscles rippling down his entire body. He was perfectly hairless, and was still glistening from the foam. His gray eyes were set in a serious stare – for once. Harry gulped. He hoped his erection wasn't peeking through his pants.

He stepped forward and led Malfoy out to the dance floor. A burst of foam hit them. They both burst into laughter and wiped the soap suds out of their faces.

Harry took Malfoy's hand and started rocking back and forth. It was a fast number, but he was already relatively tired out from all of the grinding he had done with Charlie.

Malfoy took the hint and rested his arm on Harry's shoulder without getting much closer. It felt strange and awkward to be this close to Malfoy and not strangling him.

He avoided looking Malfoy in the eye. While he wasn't drunk, he had certainly had enough to say or do something incredibly stupid. Malfoy felt so warm and soft.

"The Pygmy Puffs' lyrics leave something left to be desired," Harry commented.

Malfoy smiled and moved in a tad closer and ran his fingers through Harry's hair. Harry could feel his prick twitching and he willed himself to think of Hagrid and McGonagall in a hot tub together.

"I don't think I'll buy their album."

"Would you just shut your mouth and dance?" Malfoy ordered.

Harry squeaked and tried to bring out some of his better moves that didn't include dry humping his dance partner. That would _definitely_ be against the Auror code.

Two songs later, the Pygmy Puffs played a slow song and requested that all of the "lovers get their arses to the dance floor." Harry winced and released Malfoy.

"Do you want a drink?" Harry gulped.

Malfoy shrugged. "Sure. I didn't want to dance anyway."

They wandered over to the bar where Pansy and Blaise had finally untangled themselves from each other and were making fun of some of the dancers' choice of clothes.

"If she's going to be half naked, she should probably drop two stone," Pansy commented and dissolved into giggles.

"Look, it's Auror Potter and Draco Malfoy," Blaise commented. "Or rather, should I say Potter-of-the-Night? With those pants, you could turn me into a queer."

"Fuck off, Blaise," Malfoy said. "You try dancing in that foam and keeping your clothes on."

"You're right. He'd never tarnish Armani."

"Armani makes wizarding clothes?" Harry asked curiously.

"Of course. He is a wizard after all," Malfoy responded and flagged down the bartender. "Four shots of Ogden's Finest."

"Malfoy, I can't drink like that. I'm on the job," Harry started.

"The Slytherin Stalker waits at least three weeks between his kills," Malfoy answered. "You'll be fine."

"I thought the reason you wanted to dance with me was because you wanted to stay safe," Harry said with a challenging stare.

"Fine," Malfoy answered and took the shot that had been pushed in front of Harry. "I'll drink it for you."

Harry shrugged at Pete, who continued to look menacing at anyone who looked at Blaise and Pansy. That bloke would do well as an actual body guard.

**

"Let me Apparate us!" Malfoy squeaked.

"Bloody hell, Malfoy. I'm not going to let you do that when you're this pissed. Fuck knows where we'd end up and in what condition."

"I'm fine," Malfoy insisted.

"You had all four shots of firewhiskey originally order for us, then five more. Afterwards, you insisted you were a member of the Pygmy Puffs."

"They would have believed me if you hadn't stepped in," Malfoy answered.

Harry held onto Malfoy's arms and tugged him over to an Apparation point. "Let me do this. I'm here to keep you safe, remember?"

Malfoy frowned and looked down. "Where did my clothes go? Did you have your way with me, Potter?"

"My way?" Harry asked, his mouth dropping open. "You don't know what you're saying, Malfoy."

"I do too," Malfoy's voice was slurred and he stepped away from Harry again. "I need to find my clothes. They were really expensive, you know."

"I know," Harry said and chased after Malfoy yet again. Malfoy yelped and fell over, pulling Harry down with him.

Malfoy giggled. His breath felt hot on Harry's face and smelled rather strongly of liquor. "I had a dream about this once."

"I'm not sure you want to be saying this sort of stuff to me," Harry answered softly. He willed himself to stand and pulled Malfoy up with him. Before Malfoy was able to say or do anything, he Apparated both of them to Malfoy's flat.

Harry turned to Malfoy, who looked deathly pale. "I was _not_ ready for that."

"Please don't vomit."

Malfoy let out a burp and sighed. "I'll try not to. How do I get to bed?"

"Let's get you cleaned off, first. I'm sure you wouldn't want to soil your bed sheets with whatever is on your body right now."

"I was in a giant bubble bath tonight, Potter. I think I'm pretty fucking clean."

Harry shook his head. "Fine. Let me take you to bed then."

He led Malfoy along the stairway, steadying him around the more fragile pieces in the vicinity. They finally made it to Malfoy's bedroom.

Harry led Malfoy to his unnaturally enormous bed and sat him down.

"You didn't have to do that," Malfoy said.

"No, it's okay. I'm in charge of your safety," Harry answered and began to turn away.

"Would you stay?" Malfoy called.

Harry turned around and frowned. He wasn’t sure if that was a great idea. Malfoy was still half naked and clearly too drunk to think clearly. "What?"

"Just – just stay with me tonight. My bed is big enough, don't you think? Just humor me, please. I don't get to sleep next to people very often. I get lonely."

"Don't you have blokes in and out of your room?" Harry asked.

Malfoy glared at him. "Not as often as you might think. No one ever stays over."

Harry sighed. This was definitely a mistake, but his client was requesting it. The bed was big enough to not have to worry about any unwanted (or at least, inappropriate) touching. He made his way over to the opposite side of the bed and lay down next to Malfoy.

The bed made it feel like he was floating. He sunk in to a point, but the mattress was firm enough to keep him comfortable. How could he go back to any other bed again?

Harry pulled the covers over him and rolled over. "Malfoy?"

"Hmmm?" a sleepy-sounding voice came from next to him.

"I'm sorry I assumed you had a load of blokes sleeping over all the time."

"S'okay. I'd think that too if I were you."

Harry smiled into his pillow. He liked drunk Malfoy an awful lot.

**

Harry was dreaming that he was flying on his broom. He would make a right turn and then a left turn and then would fly up and down. And then he saw Malfoy. He angled his broom at Malfoy and tried to steer in his direction, but the broom kept going to the right.

"Malfoy!" he yelled.

Why couldn't he just get to him? This blasted broom kept going the wrong direction.

Rain began falling from the sky. He yelled out. It was freezing cold rain. Still shivering, he continued to Malfoy, who was sitting on his broom with a bright smile on his face.

"Malfoy, come over here! My broom is acting strange!"

Malfoy didn't seem to notice his words. He motioned forward, and try as Harry might have, the broom began flipping back and forth.

The Slytherin Stalker was behind him! A hooded figure on a broom was shooting straight towards Malfoy and Malfoy had no clue!

"Malfoy!"

Harry woke up to rather violent shakes from Malfoy.

"Potter!"

"What?"

"Why in the bleeding hell are you in my bed?"

"You asked me to sleep next to you and demanded it was my job," Harry mumbled, still catching his breath. The dream had been so vivid. Part of him knew it must have been a dream, but it was so real. He shivered at the terrible feeling of not being able to get what he wanted. And Malfoy in danger - well, he hadn't expected his reaction to be so extreme.

He supposed that was what happened when you worked with someone for several weeks, especially as their bodyguard. Feelings of protectiveness developed. It had nothing to do with any sexual urges. Yes, he had those, but what gay bloke wouldn't?

"I asked you to sleep in my bed?" Malfoy asked with an eyebrow raised. "Something doesn't sound right about that."

"I didn't want to start another argument and you told me to. What was I to say?"

"No?"

Harry sighed. "I don't want to start another argument now," he said pointedly.

Malfoy shrugged. "I woke up to you drooling on my pillow. I don't like it when people drool on my pillow. It's rude."

"I don't know what you want me to say, Malfoy."

"Do you have any idea how strange it is to find the Boy Who Lived in my bed?"

"Happens to me every morning," Harry replied and stood up.

He realized he was still in his tight pants from the concert the night before. He turned red and covered his arse as he walked out. Hopefully, Malfoy didn't think he was a complete pervert.

"We slept together in our pants?" Harry heard Malfoy cry out from behind him.

Harry suppressed a giggle and walked into the bathroom.

He stared at himself in the mirror. It looked as though he hadn't gotten much sleep - he probably hadn't. He had dark rings under his eyes and his hair was matted in odd ways - more so than usual.

His body was sticky from all of the foam. He felt a slight pang of guilt knowing that he soiled Malfoy's sheets with his body. Then again, Malfoy didn't have any reservations about doing so himself.

Turning on the shower, Harry stepped out of his pants and sighed. He walked into the steamy shower and closed the door. The warm water felt bloody fantastic on his body. It was washing away all of the exhaustion he had felt when he woke up.

He thought back to Malfoy in his pants, dancing and grinding against the other boys in the club. He slightly regretted not trying to do the same when the two of them had actually danced, but he was far too professional - as well as intelligent - to think that it would get by Druthers that he and Malfoy were behaving - or that Malfoy actually wanted him.

Just the thought of Malfoy was causing Harry's prick to grow. Harry put some soap in his hand for lube and slid his hand down, grasping himself. He moaned at the single touch. Clearly, all of the grinding and half-naked blokes from last night would make this a quick wank.

As he pulled himself off, his mind went back to Malfoy. Try as he might, he couldn't get the image of Malfoy throwing his head back in pleasure as he ground against the trio of blokes, all with perfectly dark hair. Harry imagined himself as one of them, pressed against Malfoy's front, feeling their erections rub together through the foam and fabric.

"Dray-co!" he moaned and came with a shudder.

He leaned against the marble tile wall to recover. He was spent.

Okay, so he found Malfoy's body rather impressive. That wasn't anything new. He liked it when Malfoy was drunk and his wanker-ness was diluted. So what? Most people were more fun to be around when they were slightly intoxicated.

He wanted to protect Malfoy. Of course he did; that was his job! His feelings were completely normal for someone in his position!

Harry sighed. Perhaps it was time to pursue Charlie. Maybe that would get Malfoy out of his head.

**

"Let's meet up at Iyana's for some ice cream," Harry suggested to Ron. "I have to bring Malfoy, but it's okay. He will just make some stupid comments and eat his ice cream. He's actually easy to get along with once you know how to deal with his nonsense."

Ron raised an eyebrow. "I didn't say anything against him, mate."

Harry turned red. "Oh."

"'Mione and I would love to meet you for ice cream. We have some news that I think you'll enjoy."

Harry smiled. "I can't wait. Let me see what Malfoy is up to."

"Oi! Malfoy!"

"What in the bleeding hell do you want, Potter? I'm moisturizing!"

"Will you be done moisturizing in the next hour or so?"

"I have a very extensive moisturizing routine!"

"For fuck's sake, Malfoy, will you just come out here so I can talk to you without yelling?"

"I'm stark naked, Potter! Is that really what you want to see?"

Harry turned a deeper shade of red as he thought about his shower time adventure from earlier in the morning. Ron cackled. Choosing to ignore Malfoy's comment, Harry continued. "I would like to meet Ron and Hermione for ice cream at noon!"

There was a pause. And then, "Fine! I'll come along!"

"Great."

Harry turned back to Ron.

"It seems as though you have quite the rapport with him."

"Shut it."

"You think he's fit."

"Shut it."

"You want to see him naked."

Harry glared at Ron. "Would you keep it down?" he asked through gritted teeth. "Just because -" he lowered his voice even more, "just because I think he's fit doesn't meet I want to be with him."

Ron shrugged. "I think he'd be perfect for you, mate."

"If he wasn't such an arse, yeah."

"You know Hermione's going to see straight through your denial right away. She'll probably pick up on the sexual tension when you walk into Iyana's."

"It's okay. She'll do the same thing she always does. Meddle. It's nothing new."

"What about Charlie?"

"Can we PLEASE have this conversation not here?"

Ron nodded. "Once the killer is apprehended, right?"

Harry pulled a face. "You're so lucky that Druthers likes you and put you on investigative duty."

"It's true. I actually have some interviews to get to after Iyana's."

As Ron disappeared from the Floo, Harry stood up and wandered over to the hallway. He had to get ready to meet with Ron and Hermione. It had been a while since they had spent more than several minutes together in the past month, so he was looking forward to this get together.

As he approached his room, he saw a movement near the dresser. He pulled out his wand and peeked in.

Malfoy was standing over Harry's bed, looking for something. He was completely naked with the exception of a towel wrapped around his waist. He wore a clay mask on his face. "Malfoy, what the hell are you doing in my room?"

Clearly trying not to look surprised, he turned to Harry and put his hand on his hips. "I was LOOKING for my clothes. I vaguely remember you telling me you had them."

Harry sighed and walked to his dresser. He pulled off a set of clothes from the top of the dresser and handed them to Malfoy. "I was keeping them safe, so don't worry."

"Merlin knows what you did to them," Malfoy responded and made a face.

"Of course. I soiled them with my dirty Potter hands."

"I'll bet you did."

After a moment's pause, Malfoy spoke again. "I heard Weasley telling you that he had a surprise. What do you think it is?"

Harry shrugged. "Who knows? With those two, they could be sharing that they are painting their house a new color. They like to share every detail about their lives with me."

Another pause. "You say that like it's an inconvenience."

It was interesting that Malfoy was asking about Harry's personal life. "Yeah, I suppose it can be."

"Why?" Malfoy looked curious and sat on the bed expectantly.

Harry shifted uncomfortably. "It's silly, I know, but sometimes, it feels like they are rubbing their relationship in my face. I feel as though they are telling me how wonderful it is to be in a committed relationship and asking me why I haven't found someone to redecorate the spare bedroom with yet."

"We're only twenty six."

"Yeah."

"We have years and years to find someone," Malfoy offered.

Harry turned back to his dresser and fiddled with his socks.

"I don't think it's silly."

"Thanks, Malfoy."

"Draco."

Harry smiled down at his purple stockings. "Draco."

**

Harry embraced Hermione as she and Ron walked in and sat down. Malfoy - Draco gave them both a nod and continued reading the latest edition of the Daily Prophet.

"You said you have an interview to do today?" Harry asked Ron.

Ron nodded. "Yep, we have a lead on where the Slytherin Stalker took Haverford. Hopefully, it will lead to finding out more information about the identity of our killer."

Draco glanced up. "You just talk about this sort of thing in the open like this?"

Ron and Harry looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean?" Ron asked.

"Anyone could overhear this conversation. Including the Slytherin Stalker."

Harry chuckled. "Draco, it's nothing like that. Look around you. There are Aurors everywhere. There's not a chance that anyone not wanting to be caught would step into Iyana's. It's as simple as that."

Draco glanced around. "I see a lot of families and non-Aurors. What if they came in here to listen to all of the Auror gossip?"

"That's highly unlikely," Ron responded.

"But still possible."

Hermione glanced around. "The security is so high here, I just don't see that as a logical concern. Sorry, Malfoy."

Draco shrugged. "If I were in the middle of a high profile case, I wouldn't be talking about all of this in an ice cream shop."

"Well, you're not, are you?" Ron asked.

"No, but I am a potential victim."

It was silent at the table. Harry wasn't sure how to respond to that, and from the looks of things, neither did Ron and Hermione.

"It's about as safe as discussing it at Auror Headquarters. I promise. It's safe."

Draco licked his mint chocolate chip cone. "Fine."

Harry couldn't help but watch Draco's tongue dart in and out of his mouth as he caught a drop of ice cream about to fall out of his mouth. He felt goosebumps go up and down his arms and turned to Ron and Hermione. "So, what was the announcement you wanted to make?"

Ron and Hermione joined hands and grinned with excited faces. "I'm pregnant!" Hermione exclaimed.

Harry stood up and threw his arms around her. "That's wonderful news! I'm so excited for both of you!"

"That's not all," Ron said once Harry had sat down. "We want you to be the godfather. No matter what, we want to know that you will be there to help raise our child. Even if you don't settle down yourself."

Harry felt a painful jolt. Eventually, he would settle down. "Right. I'm so excited for both of you! How far along are you, Hermione?"

"About ten weeks."

Harry turned to Draco, who had remained seated and quiet through the entire exchange. He shrugged at Harry. "Sorry, babies make me think of all of the cleaning that needs to be done. All of the spit up and poops that need to be taken care of makes me uncomfortable."

"Wouldn't you have a house-elf for that?" Ron asked.

"So? I'd still have to see it."

Ron and Hermione launched into every little detail about her pregnancy. It gave Harry a chance to process and exchange another meaningful glance with Draco. He seemed to understand Harry's dilemma. Maybe he had found a friend in Draco after all.

Several minutes and several used Kleenex later, Hermione and Ron were finished with their baby monologues. "That's so great," Harry replied with a smile.

"Anyways, Harry, I also wanted to see if you would be interested in coming along with me to take a look at the flat here in Diagon Alley. The one where we think Haverford was killed in," Ron added.

Harry glanced at Draco, who nodded. "Sure. It would make me feel useful, anyways."

"Being my bodyguard isn't useful?" Draco asked in a mocking voice.

"I'm not sure going out dancing and doing your grocery shopping is the best use of Auror resources," Harry replied. When Draco looked rather affronted, Harry quickly added, "It isn't like I haven't been enjoying myself. I just want to get out there and act more like an Auror."

Draco seemed to accept this answer. Hermione looked sharply from Draco to Harry and narrowed her eyes. Harry shifted uncomfortably and said, "So, Ron, lead the way."

They stood and bid farewell to Hermione, who was off to buy out the entire prenatal section on babies.

"It's just down this road," Ron said and led Harry and Draco to a small alleyway behind Iyana's. "It's so close to Diagon Alley that we think that the killer is someone who makes regular visits here."

"Well, that would make sense," Harry said slowly. "I wonder if it's a business owner."

Ron shook his head slightly and frowned. "It could be, but if that were the case, why wouldn't they just kill them in their building after closing? Everyone has been found the morning after they were killed."

"This is a residential building?" Harry asked.

"Yeah. Check it out; it's an old apartment building. It's perfect for killing. No one comes over here anymore. It's right next to Knockturn Alley, which was shut down after the war. Foot traffic is low and it would be simple to move the body late at night."

"But the murdered victims have been found all over London. There isn't really a pattern."

"I'll bet there is," Draco interjected.

"Find it and you may be welcomed into the Auror task force, Malfoy. We've been working on it for the past four months."

Draco gave another nonchalant shrug and stared up at the building. "Are we going in there?"

"Yep."

They stepped into the building and Harry and Draco followed Ron up a flight of stairs.

"How do they know this is where the Slytherin Stalker killed his victims?" Draco asked.

"We know this is the place, because someone saw a light on two night ago, which was the night Haverford was discovered. Two teens went off to snog in the area and we just happened to interview them yesterday."

Ron stopped in front of a door. "This should be the room. Wands out if you haven't already."

They stepped in the room and looked around. Someone had definitely been there.

Green rope was piled on the side of the room. A stool sat in the middle of the room. Scratch marks covered the chair, as though someone was desperately trying to get free. A wood hanger had a set of green rope flung over it.

Harry walked towards a desk near the window. There was a map of London rolled out. Looking closer, he saw several spaces glowing on the map. Seeing the location, he called, "Ron! Get over here!"

Ron walked over to where Harry was standing. With a simple glance at the map, he gasped.

"What is it?" Draco asked, moving closer to them.

"That map of London has the locations of where we found the victims," Harry answered.

Draco peered over Harry's shoulder. "What are those red marks?"

"Well, the sparkling ones are the actual ones, but the ones that are just glowing haven't happened...yet," Harry answered.

"And they make an -"

"S."

"How could we have been so stupid to not see that the Slytherin Stalker was making an S with where he delivered the dead bodies to us?" Ron moaned.

"It's okay. Sometimes if you are looking at a specific thing, you miss even the most obvious of information," Draco reassured Ron.

Harry smiled in surprise. Draco was certainly being kind to Ron. In school, he would have taken this as an opportunity to make Ron's life miserable for the next week.

"I'd better get this to Druthers. He doesn't exactly know you and Malfoy tagged along, so would you mind keeping this to yourself?" Ron asked.

Harry nodded. "Sure. Thanks for letting me see some action today."

Ron waggled his eyebrows. "Maybe you'll be getting some action sooner rather than later."

"Bugger off."

They walked out and Draco turned to Harry. "Let's go back to my place. I'm feeling tired. I'm still hungover, you know."

Harry took Draco's arm, said goodbye to Ron, and Disapparated.

**

"Willy is making dinner tonight," Harry heard Draco say in his doorway.

Harry turned around. "Is he? What is he making? Is he a good cook?"

Draco made a sour face. "Of course, he's a good cook. He's a bloody house-elf. They're bred to cook and clean."

"How are you feeling? You seemed to have a long nap."

Draco walked in and stood awkwardly in the room. "It was a good nap, I suppose."

Harry wanted the conversation to go on longer, but he wasn't sure what to say. "I hope it wasn't weird for you to be with us when we were looking at that building."

"It wasn't a huge deal."

"I just mean - there is a chance you could end up in that room, you know? I would hate to make you feel uncomfortable."

Draco wandered over to Harry's bed and sat down next to him. They swayed their feet over the floor in silence for several seconds.

"I don't want to die," Draco finally said, emotion bursting out through his words. "I know I've been treating it like a huge joke, but it isn't. Every time I turn around, I'm convinced that I'll see the Slytherin Stalker with a rope in his hands, ready to take me. I can't keep lucking out. I somehow managed to make it out of Fiendfyre, and I should have died. You should have let me die."

"You're not going to die," Harry responded. "I'm here to protect you."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course. I saved you from Fiendfyre, didn't I? I killed the most powerful dark wizard that has ever lived, didn't I? I think I can handle a bloke who strangles his victims."

Draco swooped forward and brought his lips to Harry's mouth. Harry pulled back, surprised. Draco stood up quickly, clearly with the intention of running away, but Harry pulled him back and captured his lips in another kiss.

Harry had hoped for this for the past few weeks and he hadn't even realized it. Draco felt perfect. He tasted perfect. Everything about this wonderful man in front of him, kissing him was perfect. He was overwhelmed with how much he needed this kiss.

Draco moaned and moved even closer to Harry, pushing him back so they were both laying on the bed. His tongue entered Harry's mouth and Draco moaned and moved even closer to Harry, pushing him back so they were both laying on the bed. His tongue entered Harry's mouth and Harry had never felt so completely disheveled. He tugged at Draco's hair and pressed even harder against him so their chests were completely touching.

This was perfect. Sure, it had been a bit of a dry spell in the past few months, but no one else would ever make him feel this way. The feelings inside of him were so much more than lust. He felt as though his soul had recognized its counterpart in Draco. 

Harry rolled Draco over onto his side and slid his hand down the small of his back, playing with the seam of his trousers. Draco moaned and clasped his own hand to Harry's prick.

Immediately, Harry pulled away. Draco frowned. "Isn't this what you want?"

"I-I-" Harry stammered. "We need to wait. It's unprofessional to do this right now. I'm working for you. If Druthers found out -"

"Right," Draco said, his face downcast, "I understand."

He rose again and adjusted his clothes.

"It isn't that I don't want it," Harry insisted. "We just can't do this while I'm protecting you."

"No, because you've never broken any rules before," Draco said angrily and walked out of Harry's bedroom.

"Fuck," Harry said and punched his pillow. "Fuck."

**

Several days had passed and Draco refused to talk to Harry. He had taken all of his work home and kept holed up in his office. Harry had no clue what to do. Draco was staying safe, so at least he was doing his job right. Unfortunately, his personal life seemed to get in the way.

He had tried the day before to talk to Draco and get him to understand that as soon as the Slytherin Stalker was caught, they could be together, but Draco wouldn't have any of it. He supposed Draco had a point. To be turned away at that particular moment must have been rather humiliating.

Harry had been reorganizing some files from the Slytherin Stalker. It appeared as though Druthers was giving him something to do, probably at Ron's recommendation.

Harry was impressed with how quickly Druthers had taken to Ron. It took him several months to get used to the fact that he wasn't the favorite. He supposed it was what Ron had to deal with all throughout their Hogwarts years, so Harry was happy for his best mate.

He leafed through the file a bit more and found the list of potential victims. The list totaled over 200 different Slytherins. He was rather put off by the fact that it didn't seem much more specific than graduating Slytherins. All of them were employed, true, but it was probably more of a coincidence than anything else. In the reports, every Slytherin had been taken when they were by themselves. This was a large component of why Aurors had taken to body guarding the more high profile Slytherins.

He thought about the apartment again. Part of him thought it had to be a shop owner at Diagon Alley, or perhaps someone who ran a lot of errands. The killer had to frequent Diagon Alley for several reasons - they had to see their victims there and then transport the dead body across town and make it look like they were making their normal trip to and from work.

Harry wasn't sure what it meant and he was nervous about what this meant for finding the Slytherin Stalker before he killed again. The autopsies gave nothing away as to how his victims were captured. He assumed it was a simple Stupify but maybe there was something more.

All the while, he had a perfect bloke in the house with him and he couldn't even get to him. Apparently, he was just terrible at catching things.

All of these thoughts made him crave some strong liquor, so he headed down the stairs to Draco's cellar. As he emerged from the back room with an unopened bottle of rum, the doorbell rang. Harry sighed and sat down in the kitchen nook. It was probably some boy to entertain Draco. Willy greeted the visitor. As their voices grew louder, Harry realized they were heading toward him.

"Charlie?"

"Harry?"

"What are you doing here?"

"Why are you drinking at three in the afternoon?"

Harry shook his head. "If you had to deal with what I have to deal with, you'd be drinking yourself into a stupor every day."

Charlie shrugged. "I thought I'd come say hello to you. It's been nearly a week since the Pygmy Puff show and I didn't see you after you disappeared to the loo. I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Charlie, I'm so sorry. Draco got drunk and I had to make sure he got home okay."

Charlie walked closer to Harry so they were just a foot apart. Harry took a drink of rum from the bottle and smiled at Charlie.

"I didn't get to kiss you."

Harry shifted in his seat and took another swig, enjoying the soft burn as the amber liquid ran down his throat. "You didn't."

Without any warning, Charlie took Harry's chin in his hand and moved forward to kiss Harry.

It took several moments for Harry to realize that he was being kissed by Charlie Weasley. He briefly began to kiss back before he realized that this was not at all what he wanted. Charlie was just...Charlie. He wasn't Charlie, Harry's boyfriend or significant other. He was just Charlie Weasley and Harry never felt a deeper connection than fuck partner or friend. He felt a pang of disappointment until he accepted that yes, it was okay that he didn't want Charlie like that. Things would get messy.

Unfortunately, they got even messier as he heard Draco yell, "Get out of my bloody house!"

Charlie pulled away quickly and looked sheepishly at Draco. "Draco, I'm sorry. I just thought I'd pay a visit to Harry. I didn't mean to intrude into your house."

"You don't want to be tied down, do you Potter? You'd rather just string blokes along and give them just a little bit at a time to keep them at your beck and call. I thought - I thought -" Draco sputtered in a furious tone, his voice breaking.

Charlie glanced back and forth. "I should go."

"Bloody right you should. It's rather unprofessional to snog an Auror on the job, after all," Draco glared daggers at Harry as Charlie practically ran out of the flat.

"He kissed me, Draco. I didn't even-"

"I saw you kissing him!" Draco yelled.

"I don't like him," Harry insisted. "I was getting ready to tell that to Charlie, but he - well, he kissed me."

"And naturally, your response was to stick your tongue down the first person who kisses you."

"I didn't hear you complaining," Harry shot back. He immediately regretted his words as tears filled in Draco's eyes.

"People always talk about how horrible and manipulative Slytherins are. You, Potter, are worse than a Slytherin. You're just a bastard who has no concept of anything that matters. I never want to see you again."

"Draco, wait-"

"STOP CALLING ME DRACO."

Draco turned to the doorway. "When I come back, you need to be out of my house. I'll let Druthers know that while you did a wonderful job of watching me, I didn't want to cooperate and you got fed up with me."

Harry's heart started racing. "Please, just sit and talk to me."

"I don't want to talk. We've done enough talking for the past fifteen years to show nothing can ever change between us."

Draco turned and left the flat, slamming the door behind him.

Harry stood up and walked up the stairway. There was no way he could possibly reconcile this. Draco was less than quick to trust and Harry had broken it. Twice. Their friendship had been fragile, and their nonexistent relationship was even less resilient. Any hope of getting Draco to understand had been shot.

He packed his clothes and sat on the bed. He didn't want to leave. Maybe once Draco came back, he would be calmer and he could at least convince him to let him stay. It was the right thing to do, after all.

That was when he saw the letter.

Opening it gently, it said just two words:

" _Thank you_."

He froze, staring at it, trying to analyze what exactly it meant. Who was it from? Why was he being thanked?

In his heart, he knew that it led to nothing good. He hoped desperately that it wasn't from the Slytherin Stalker, but it seemed likely that this was whom the letter was from.

Perhaps there were prints or some way to trace who wrote it? It was only mid-afternoon and the Slytherin Stalker didn't kill until after the evening.

They didn't kill until nearly midnight.

Harry froze. There was a witness he hadn't even considered. They may know something essential that they hadn't thought to report.

Only one place was open until midnight in Diagon Alley.

**

Harry Apparated to Iyana's Ice Cream shop and ran in. Several Aurors greeted him, but Harry ignored them. "Where is Iyana?" he demanded to one of the employees.

"She's on her lunch break. I think she's in the back. Do you really need her special that badly?" the snooty server asked.

"Auror business," Harry explained and walked into the back kitchens. The girl tried to call him back, but he kept walking.

"Harry Potter?" Iyana asked. She was sitting on a stool, churning a batch of chocolate ice cream.

Harry stepped forward. "I have a question, Iyana."

She smiled and set the ice cream on the top of the table. "Of course."

"Have you seen anything in that building up there?" Harry pointed at the wall where he knew the room the Slytherin Stalker had used to kill their victims.

Iyana paused and thought for several seconds. "I tend to be working, Harry. You know that."

"I know you've been working, but if you have any information...if there is someone who comes here very late every night or maybe you've seen someone walking around Diagon Alley consistently around midnight, it could be great for our investigation."

Iyana shrugged. "I don't know anything."

Harry stared at her. It couldn't be. Iyana? The adorable ice cream maiden? "If you don't know anything, why has your heart rate gone up consistently since we've been talking?"

"It hasn't."

Harry pulled out a small elliptical piece out of his ear. "Latest from the Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. Heart-Rate Hear-All."

Iyana's face darkened. "If my heart rate went up, it's only because I'm being interrogated in my own kitchens."

"Tell me what you know and maybe I can protect you," Harry insisted. Perhaps she had seen something and been threatened.

"There's nothing to say."

"Were you the one you sent me the letter?"

"No."

There. That was all he needed. "I didn't mention a letter to you, did I?"

Harry stepped forward and Iyana darted for her wand. For an ice cream owner, she was quick. She quickly Disarmed Harry and pointed her wand at him.

"Harry Potter, I never wanted to get the Aurors involved, especially you. I've always admired you."

Harry sat up and rubbed his head. "Why are you doing this?" he asked. "What connection do you have the Slytherin Stalker?"

Iyana laughed. "What connection? Darling, I am the Slytherin Stalker."

Harry stared at her dumbly. "You?"

"Oh, I know it sounds strange. The gorgeous blonde ice cream girl from Ukraine is a murderer. Everyone always thought I was a dumb girl. So what if I play the part just a little too well?"

"You've been killing all of the Slytherins."

Iyana brushed the hair out of her face and smiled, twirling Harry's wand between her fingers. She waved her wand and said, " _Incarcerous_!" Ropes shot out of the wand and wrapped around Harry's wrists and ankles. He twisted a bit to test the strength. There was no way he could get out of them with Iyana watching him this closely.

"Why?" he asked.

"My brother went to Hogwarts, did you know?" Iyana asked. "He was sorted Hufflepuff."

Harry nodded. "A foreign exchange student who was a Hufflepuff."

Iyana nodded bitterly. "Slytherins tormented him. He was shy. He wasn't like me. He wore glasses and was rather meek. You would have liked him," she added as an afterthought.

"Is he encouraging you to do this?" Harry asked.

"He never made it past his fifth year. He committed suicide."

"Iyana, I'm so sorry."

"Not nearly as sorry as those Slytherins are going to be. I thought that I could leave it alone and that Pieter's death was over and done with, but then the second war came. It was all of those Slytherins again. They were responsible for so much hurt and pain. Dumbledore's death was caused by a Slytherin; surely you know that?"

Harry shook his head, but there wasn't much use in correcting a mass murderer.

"I thought about this for several years, Harry. I needed to make my move. I needed to make them hurt as much as they hurt me. Then one day, I saw him. Ethan Hawes. He was just sitting in my shop like nothing terrible had ever happened. I realized then that he hadn't suffered near as much as I had, or anyone else involved in the war. I decided I couldn't let him go.

"I waited until the shop closed. I offered him some extra ice cream for being such a great patron. I put a bit of oleander in his ice cream, just to put him to sleep. He went out quicker than I expected. I dragged him to the abandoned building. No one is out here after midnight anyway. I tied him up and confronted him. I didn't realize I was going to kill him, Harry, but when it was clear he had no remorse for what he did to Pieter, I strangled him. It was so easy. Fuck, it was easier than making ice cream.

"I decided that this work needed to be done. I would kill until Slytherins noticed that something was wrong. I picked Slytherins that showed no remorse for their previous actions. They frequented my shop. Everyone does. It was easy to listen to conversations between the disgusting snakes and pick the next person to kill. I did the same thing I did with Ian. I would simply offer them more ice cream at the end of the night and take them out from there."

Harry's eyes widened. "All of that just for revenge on your brother?"

"Harry, you don't realize it. These people feel no regrets at all. Is that the type of person you want living?"

"I don't get to decide that," Harry answered.

"Just think about it this way, Harry. If you didn't have Draco bloody Malfoy in your life, I wouldn't have to kill you too. Unfortunately, you know far too much and I can't let you live. See?" she slammed her hand on the table. "Another Slytherin crime. I should never have to kill an Auror, but now, I have to."

She walked up to him and pressed an herb into Harry's face. He tried to hold his mouth shut, but she covered his nose and he tried to sneak in a breath. She shoved the herb into Harry's mouth and within seconds, he saw blackness.

**

"I was beginning to think you'd never wake up," Iyana said softly.

He was lying on a wooden floor, wearing just his undergarments. He was gagged with a cloth wrapped around his head. Harry's eyes darted back and forth. They were in the building, more specifically, in the killing room. Why Aurors hadn't tagged this as a crime scene was beyond him?

"Oh, don't worry. I found a new room. Aurors are a lot dumber than they look." Iyana took a drag from her cigarette and leaned against the wall.

Draco was standing on a stool, a green noose tied around his neck. He looked down at Harry with wide eyes.

"I thought you could watch the idiot who has been responsible for your misery the past month die. Maybe that would give you some pleasure before you too die." Iyana stood from her chair. "I think I'll put Malfoy at the end of the Slytherin 'S.' What do you think?"

Harry shook his head. "No!" he breathed through the cloth. This couldn't be happening.

"How can you be okay with this, Harry? Didn't Malfoy bully you at Hogwarts? You should be thanking me for what I'm doing!"

He shook his head again. . Harry thought that perhaps if he could just get his mouth ungagged, he could talk Iyana out of this. It would be a stretch, but there was a chance.

Iyana stepped over to him and pulled off his gag. "Go on, tell me. Explain to me how this is fair. Explain to me that my brother being bullied and his tormenters stepping away without remorse is perfectly acceptable. Explain to me that the Slytherins who joined the Death Eaters deserve a second chance."

"We're human," Harry breathed. "We all make mistakes, especially as children."

Iyana waved her hands in Harry's face. "You can't possibly believe that. I've heard stories of your heroics when you were younger. You were the perfect child."

"That's a lie," Harry answered. "I made my own mistakes. I still do." He stole a meaningful glance at Draco, who was watching the exchange between Harry and Iyana.

"I'll bet you were never responsible for the death of an innocent."

Harry thought back to Cedric and felt remorse. "You know less about me than you might think."

Iyana scoffed. "Either way, you managed to balance it out with all the good you did during the war. Even now, you're an Auror. You _help_ people. Don't tell me that doesn't cancel out any bad you did in school."

"Iyana, it doesn't matter about balancing. What does matter is that we don't take things into our own hands. Life doesn't work that way."

"Why can't it?" The question was far more rhetorical than interrogative. Harry stayed silent.

"Now," she said with a brighter expression, "Let's get this started. Perhaps you can understand why I'm doing what I'm doing before I kill you."

She turned to Draco, who sneered at her. She went to kick the stool out from underneath him, but Draco reacted quicker. He kicked the stool straight at Iyana, hitting her in the head. She went unconscious. Draco grabbed onto the rope and held himself up to relieve the rope's tension. Harry gasped and rocked himself forward. He threw his body against the chair, causing it to fall into several pieces.

"Potter," Draco growled through his gag, "get the bloody hell over here."

Iyana moaned and clutched her head. Harry knew he didn't have much time. He stood and removed the loosened ropes binding his wrists and feet. He ran to Draco and tried to untie the rope around his neck, but it was too tight. "I – I can't get them."

Draco motioned his head to Iyana. "Wand," he gritted out through his teeth. His arms were starting to shake.

Harry rushed to Iyana, grabbed her wand from her holster, and quickly cut off the green rope. Draco released his grip and fell to the floor. Harry caught him before he fell over.

Draco gasped and clutched onto Harry's arms. "I can't believe I owe you a debt _again_."

He smiled as he ran a hand through Draco's hair. "I have something in mind."

Harry's expression darkened as he turned to Iyana. He tied her up and sent his Patronus to alert Druthers.

"It looks like we caught the Slytherin Stalker," Harry said.

Draco seemed to gain his footing and pulled away from Harry. "You can say that again."

**

"I went to get some ice cream to calm myself down. I am an emotional eater, okay?"

"I never judged you. Have you seen what Ron eats regularly?"

Ron jabbed Harry in the side. "Draco, we just need a witness statement."

Draco sighed and continued. "Iyana came up to me and asked me why I was by myself. I told her that I didn't need Potter anymore, among some other self-pitying phrases. I stayed there for a while, and then she offered me a free bowl of her fresh pistachio ice cream. Well, I had never tried pistachio before, so I gave it a shot. It was delicious, by the way. That was the last thing I remember. Then, I woke up in that disgusting excuse for an apartment building with Potter tied up to a chair. She bound my wrists and feet and then tied a green rope to my neck. You can still see the bruises, probably. I'm going to have to do a Glamor Charm on this for weeks."

"Malfoy."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Anyways, while Iyana and Potter were having it out over the definition of right and wrong, I was actually doing something. I learned a trick when the Dark Lord – Voldemort was staying at the manor. It was a nonverbal spell to get rid of anything that was binding you. Well, it was a bit out of practice and only managed to get my arms free. I was rather stupid and kicked the chair out at Iyana first and knocking her out, and then, before I passed out from oxygen deprivation, I clutched onto the rope. That was when Potter came to the rescue, as I'm sure you've heard from him."

With another sigh, Draco sat forward in the interrogation room. "Are we done yet? I don't have particularly fond memories of this place and this time, I definitely didn't do anything wrong."

Ron smiled. "No, you didn't. I just need to know one more thing: why did you leave Harry's care?"

"You haven't told him yet?" Draco raised an eyebrow at Harry, who turned pink and looked away with a disinterested gaze.

"What happened, Harry?"

Harry jiggled his leg and turned to his best mate. "Charlie came by in the evening. He, well, erm, he-"

"I saw them snogging," Draco said in a flat tone.

Ron blanched. "Oh. Wait, how does that make you decide to leave the manor without Harry?"

It was Draco's turn to go pink. He looked at Harry. "He really is the same oblivious Weasley, isn't he?"

Harry swallowed and put his hand on Ron's shoulder. "Ron, Draco and I – well, we had a moment. Or two. Or three. When he saw Charlie snogging me, he may have gotten the wrong idea and left in a fury."

Ron looked from Harry to Draco and back to Harry again. "You snogged my brother and Malfoy in the same week?"

Harry bit his lip. "That would be what I'm trying to say, yes."

"And when Malfoy saw you and Charlie together, he got so upset that he ignored his own safety and left your protection."

"Mm-hm."

Ron stood. "While I'm in my office trying to unhear this entire conversation, you should probably sort this out."

He walked to the door and closed it.

Harry stole a glance at Draco, who was looking both bored and extremely uncomfortable at the same time. "Do you want to sort things out?" Harry asked.

Draco looked at Harry and narrowed his eyes. "I haven't decided yet."

"I saved your life, so you owe me just this one thing. Hear me out, please."

He crossed his arms. "Hear you out. That's brilliant. All I've been doing lately is listening to you. Like you're so smart anyways."

Harry threw his hands in the air. "What in the bleeding hell is that supposed to mean? As I recall, I was mostly taking orders from _you_."

"You are so bloody difficult and confusing! I don't know what you fucking want from me! First, you are Harry Potter, Auror extraordinaire. Then, you start flirting with me. Don't act coy; I know a flirt when I see one. The number of stolen glances from across the room that you gave to me was ridiculous. _Then_ , you spend all night dancing with Weasley and somehow end up dancing with me. I couldn't help but think to myself that maybe this was alright, that you actually wanted me. The moment a slow song came on, you took off. Then, magically, you fall asleep in my bed after I drank myself into a stupor! What am I supposed to think about that?"

Harry opened his mouth to respond, but Draco held his hand in the air. "I'm not finished, Potter. Finally, you kiss me and act like you want me to rip your clothes off and bugger you with the ferocity of a Hungarian Horntail, but at the last moment, you pull away and tell me it isn't right. Finally, after ignoring me for several days, Charlie Weasley comes around and you seem fairly amenable to snogging him as well. What am I supposed to think?"

Hearing all of this caused Harry to feel a bit of guilt. He certainly had given Draco mixed signals. "I can explain all of that."

Draco sat back in his seat with a skeptical expression. "Fine."

"You know that Druthers hates me, right?"

"More than you know."

"Well, that's part of it. I have to prove myself to Druthers; more so than anyone else on the task force. I need to prove to him that I'm not just the Boy Who Lived. What do you think he would have done had he found out that I was sleeping with my client? I would have been fired."

Draco's hard expression faltered slightly.

"As for Charlie, we had a one night stand a year or so ago. It meant nothing to me, but it did for Charlie. I thought that maybe I wanted a relationship with him at some point, but then I saw you again and all of those feelings I had in school came back. When he kissed me, I was telling him that he had no chance. He asked me for one kiss and took it before I had a chance to respond."

"You had feelings for me in school?" Draco asked.

"Fuck. That slipped out, didn't it? Yes, there was always something bubbling under the surface between us, wasn't there? Hell, I stared at your dot on the Marauder's Map for nearly a year! Half the time, I couldn't figure out whether or not I wanted to punch you or kiss you. Draco, I now know what I want to do and I don't give a damn what anyone else thinks."

"You will probably still want to punch me from time to time."

"Sure, but you know what I want even more right now?"

"What?"

"I want you to bugger me with the ferocity of a Hungarian Horntail."

Draco climbed over the table and wrapped his body around Harry's, pulling him into a deep kiss. Harry shuddered with passion. He had missed this so much. He angled his head and mouth to make it easier for Draco to slide his tongue in. This kiss was sloppy and filled with yearning.

Harry stood and rolled Draco onto the table in front of them. He climbed on top of the table as well, keeping his lips glued to Draco's.

Draco pulled away, gasping. "Are we doing this in the interrogation room, where your boss is just a walk down the hallway away from us?"

Harry nodded, staring down at Draco with an intense expression. "Do you have a problem with that?"

He shook his head. "No, I just wanted to check."

Draco pointed his wand at the door and locked it. Harry rolled over and pulled Draco on top of him. Draco captured his lips in another kiss, this one quick, and he moved down to Harry's neck.

Harry moaned as he felt Draco's tongue sliding up and down his neck. This was everything he had imagined and more. Draco quickly pulled off Harry's shirt and moved down to his trousers, quickly unbuttoning and unzipping them. He tugged Harry's trousers and pants down, leaving Harry's already weeping cock in the open air. Harry shivered in anticipation as Draco moved down, licking off the pre come on the shaft of Harry's prick.

Draco pulled Harry's legs up over his shoulders. Harry jumped in surprise. "What are you doing?"

"Lift your arse in the air," Draco responded. Harry obliged and Draco's head disappeared underneath him.

Harry felt something wet trace the opening of his arse and then press its way inside. It felt brilliant. Draco's fingers wrapped themselves around Harry's cock as he pumped his tongue in and out of Harry. Harry threw his head back and nearly lost control of his body. He felt Draco lick a stripe along his arsehole and push a finger inside.

He loved it when men prepared him slowly, with both their tongues and their fingers. It was incredibly sensual and made the actual fucking even more satisfying.

Another finger entered Harry and wiggled around until it hit a spot in Harry that caused him to see stars. Harry cried out as Draco's tongue was also added.

"Fuck," Harry breathed.

"All in good time," came Draco's muffled voice.

Draco increased his intensity as he added another finger, moving both his hand and his tongue more quickly.

Harry quickly became a babbling mess, blurting out apologies for being a prat all these years and promises of better behavior. He pressed his arse even deeper into Draco, begging for more. If they kept going like this, Harry would come before he even got to experience the feel of Draco's cock inside of him.

Draco removed his fingers and pressed a kiss at Harry's opening. Harry watched as Draco unzipped his own trousers and pulled them off. Still keeping Harry's legs over his shoulders, he positioned his cock at Harry's entrance.

"Are you taking me dry?" Harry asked.

"You feel pretty slippery to me," Draco responded and pushed forward until he was fully sheathed inside of Harry.

Harry gasped at the fullness. It had been months since he had sex and that first moment was second only to coming.

"Are you alright?" Draco asked.

Harry tightened his muscles around Draco's prick. "Fuck me."

Draco seemed to follow those directions rather quickly. He began with shallow but tight thrusts. Harry clenched his arse, yearning to enjoy this as much as possible.

When Draco started moving faster, Harry threw his head back and moaned with every thrust. This was perfection, and Draco had barely brushed his prostate at all.

That quickly changed. Harry felt his legs lifted even higher and the intensity of Draco's thrusts deepening. There.

With these thrusts, Harry cried out, making noises he rarely made during sex. Draco was hitting his prostate with an expert-like skill.

"Potter," Draco breathed, "I can't hold myself much longer."

Harry responded by pushing Draco's cock even deeper and rubbing his prick against his prostate, coming as he did so. He made more incoherent promises as come coated his stomach, completely losing all inhibition.

When he finally opened his eyes, he realized that Draco was lying on Harry's stomach, lapping up all of the semen. His cock gave a twitch.

Draco pulled out of Harry and released Harry's legs, which were rendered practically immobile.

"That was wonderful," Harry whispered.

"Why yes, it was, wasn't it?" Draco responded and kissed Harry. He could taste himself on Draco's tongue, which felt brilliant.

"Fuck," Harry said once Draco pulled away.

"We should probably put some clothes on. We do need to go to a celebration in our honor, after all."

Draco sighed and rummaged around for his trousers. "I suppose we had better go do that before they think we're doing something uncouth in here."

Harry laughed as he put his shirt on. Not only had he solved the murder case, he had also found himself a man in the process.

**

"Sullivan's Sundae Shop isn't as good as Iyana's was," Ron complained.

Hermione jiggled the crying baby on her lap. "Sullivan is also a fat bloke. Does that make any difference for you?"

"Sullivan also isn't a deranged serial killer," Blaise interjected. The members of the table all burst into laughter.

Harry passed his vanilla cone to Draco. "Well, in any case, Draco and I have an announcement to make!"

Everyone quieted down and looked expectantly at Harry and Draco.

Draco cleared his throat. "Harry and I are moving in together."

The group cheered. "So," Pansy began, "who is moving into whose flat?"

"We couldn't decide, so we are selling our places and getting a new one of our own," Harry answered. "We picked out a flat in Belgravia. It's reasonably close to both the West End and Draco's office. Plus, with both of our combined salaries, we were able to get an enormous place."

"And with the Boy-Who-Lived doing the negotiating, we got quite the deal on closing costs," Draco added.

"I suppose it makes sense," Blaise said. "You've been staying with each other every night since Harry became Draco's body guard."

Harry gave Draco a mischievous glance. "I'm still technically his body guard. I just...guard something else now."

Draco grinned and squeezed Harry's thigh. "You're such a bloody Gryffindor."

"You like it."

"To Harry and Draco!" Ron announced, holding his ice cream cup up like a glass of champagne.

Everyone raised their cups and cones. "To Harry and Draco!" they repeated, and tapped their ice creams against each other's.

Harry smiled to himself, looking around. Things had turned out rather perfectly.

Who knew that babysitting Draco Malfoy would have led him to this much happiness?

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on [Tumblr](https://ashiiblack.tumblr.com/)


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